Violence against children takes many forms, including bullying, harassment, neglect, domestic violence, online violence including stalking, sexual exploitation and abuse, child trafficking, and peer-to-peer violence.

Adoptet in 2007, Lanzarote Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse is the first regional treaty specifically dedicated to the protection of children against all forms of sexual violence. The Republic of Moldova ratified the Lanzarote Convention on 2011 which entered into force on 2012.

In this regard, the Council of Europe project "Preventing and protecting children from violence including in the digital environment in the Republic of Moldova" presented on 29 November 2022 the Methodology for National specialized Commission for the Coordination and Monitoring of the Implementation of the Council of Europe Convention for the Protection of Children Against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse.

The event was attended by Commission members - representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Republic of Moldova, the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development, the Ministry of Health, State Chancellery, General Police Inspectorate, as well as representatives of the National Centre for Child and Abuse Prevention and the International Centre „La Strada”.

In his welcome speech, William Massolin, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Chisinau, mentioned „The Methodology aims to support the Commission with recommended indicators and monitoring procedures for coordinating and monitoring the implementation of the Lanzarote Convention. The Methodology was developed between September and November 2022 by the Council of Europe international and national experts on the basis of bilateral meetings with key actors, both authorities and civil society organisations in the field, taking into account both the national framework perspective and international good practices and experiences, including in the light of the obligations assumed by the Republic of Moldova”.

The Council of Europe consultants George Nikolaidis and Mariana Ianachevici presented to the participants general concepts on the monitoring of the Lanzarote Convention at the international and national level. They also discussed the needs of the coordination and monitoring process at the national level, including the role and contribution of each member of the Commission.

The project aims to strengthen the Government of Moldova's response to violence against children, including online sexual exploitation and abuse of children.

This activity contributes to the achievement of the Project’s intermediate outcome 2 "Professionals in government authorities involved in monitoring children's rights and protecting children from violence, abuse and sexual exploitation work in line with Council of Europe guidelines and standards on child-friendly justice".